File under: news that everyone under the sun expected, but hey, why not close the loop on this one while we’re at it.
As long suspected the fourth installment of the “Twilight” franchise, “Breaking Dawn,” has been broken up ala “Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows” into two separate pictures.
Why make four “Twilight” books into five films? The same reason why seven “Harry Potter” films were broken up into eight films: more bang for the studios buck, after all Summit Entertainment has grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide with the first two films combined. Though the studios maintain the fourth book was “too complex to be adapted into a single movie,” which makes us roll on the floor laughing.
The reasons for the delayed official announcement about “Breaking Dawn” being separated into a part one and two? Because all the ‘Twilighters’ had initially signed on for four films and a fifth film allowed them to renegotiate for mega-money now that they’re mega-stars (Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, but even the C-listers in the cast tried to hold out for ridiculous amounts of money). Those deals were closed a few weeks ago and it was probably also a matter of getting Stephenie Meyer paid extra and the screenwriter who’s still probably mapping out both films.
“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn,” is scheduled to hit theaters November 18, 2011 and part two has not been given an official release date, but expect it probably in the summer of 2012. Bill Condon (“Dreamgirls”) is directing both. The third installment, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” directed by David Slade hits theaters at the end of this month on June 30.